12 EUCALYPTUS. 



lyptus found outside of that continent and all of these in 

 the adjacent islands of New Guinea and Timor, and one 

 only in the Moluccas. There is not a single species found 

 in New Zealand. It seems indeed strange that the most 

 adaptable of all forest trees to the semi-tropic world belt 

 should be derived from so confined a genus. Besides this 

 the most friendly to new conditions of all its species is 

 one naturally limited to the damp gorges of Tasmania and 

 Victoria. At least twenty important species of Eucalyptus 

 have a wider Australian range than Eucalyptus globulus 

 or the common blue gum. Still it is the blue gum that 

 has been found thus far the best suited as a tree for other 

 countries and wide ranges of soil and moisture. In Cali- 

 fornia when any one speaks of Eucalyptus trees in a gen- 

 eral way the blue gum is meant. By this we may judge 

 how completely our Eucalyptus plantations are dominated 

 by this species. 



The blue gum is a remarkable tree. It is about third 

 as to height in the genus, being surpassed only by E. 

 amygdalina and Eucalyptus diversicolor. The tallest blue 

 gum measured was found in Tasmania and was 330 feet in 

 height. Numbers have been measured over 250 feet, and 

 a height of even 400 feet is claimed for it. In this matter 

 of height measurement Von Mueller calls attention to the 

 fact that extreme height in the Eucalyptus is due to long 

 slim branches reaching skyward. In this respect it is quite 

 different from the great stems of timber of our pines and 

 Sequoias which have only very short vertical branches. 

 Those of an ultra patriotic humor ma}^ still claim that for 

 tree height of solid stem and for cubic wood contents our 

 Sequoias lead the world. In dry, open plains it is not 

 likely that blue gums will grow to be very tall. In fact 



